Water
Centennial Utilities supplies water to residents and businesses in Circle Pines. Centennial Utilities is also responsible for providing good, safe drinking water to its customers.
Water is tested regularly by a professional laboratory to ensure quality and safety. Click the link for a copy of a drinking water report.
Water bills are rendered each month with the gas bills and are subject to the same terms for payment and disconnection.
Tips on Preventing your Water Pipes from Freezing during extreme cold temps
If the water line freezes, you will be without water. Property owners are responsible for the water service line from the meter to the main out in the street. Here are some tips for preventing water pipes from freezing.
If your water meter is enclosed in a wall or in a cabinet, be sure to expose the meter to warmth to keep the meter running when outside temperatures reach freezing. Also, be sure to keep a 3 foot clearance around the meter in case the meter requires maintenance.
Test the temperature of the water with a digital thermometer. If the thermometer reads below 34 degrees, a homeowner, at their discretion, may choose to run a pencil-size stream of water until the water temperature rises above 35 degrees. At this time the utilities have not seen frost depths that would lead to frozen water lines.
Policy on Frozen Water Lines
Upon presentation of satisfactory evidence of the costs incurred, Centennial Utilities will reimburse customers up to $750 for cost associated with thawing their frozen water service lines for the first time in any winter season. It will be the customer’s responsibility to locate and schedule plumbers or other individuals utilizing steam or hot water devices to thaw the service. The Utility will maintain a list of available contractors. Electrical current will not be allowed to be utilized on Utility water mains or service lines. The City shall provide written notice to affected homeowners that to prevent freeze up or refreezing the homeowner shall run a pencil sized stream of water (1 gallon per minute) . The Utility will waive excess water and sewer charges. Billings will be based on a comparable month when excess water was not being run. The failure to run a pencil sized stream of water as directed shall be a nuisance under City Code Section 700.04 Subd. 17.
Protecting City Wells
Water is an important resource and it needs to be protected. Wellhead Protection is a program to protect the source of water to public wells. Residents and businesses within a wellhead protection area (near a public water well) can contribute to the safety of drinking water for their community. Properties that are partially or entirely within a wellhead protection area are designated to be in the Drinking Water Supply Management Area (DWSMA). Find out if you are in the DWSMA area, click the link below. Also, you will find other important informaiton about protection our water resource.
Leak Detection Key to Home Water Savings
According to the EPA, 10 percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more of water per day. Common leaks include toilet flappers, dripping faucets and other leaking valves, all easily correctable.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program marked its first “Fix a Leak Week” this month - a reminder to Americans to check household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.
A leaky faucet that drips at one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year. A shower head leaking at 10 drips per minute wastes more than 500 gallons per year. If your toilet runs constantly, you could be losing more than 200 gallons of water every day. In most cases, fixture replacement parts can be installed by do-it-yourselfers. Irrigation systems should be checked each spring for frost or freeze damage. An irrigation system with pressure set at 60 psi that has a leak the thickness of a dime can waste nearly 6,300 gallons of water per month. Also check your garden hose for leaks at the connection to the spigot and replace the washer if needed.
The following are a few ways to determine if you have a water leak:
• Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is probably a leak.
• Check for a toilet leak by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak. (Flush immediately after test to avoid staining the tank.)
• Examine winter water usage. It is likely that a family of four has a serious leak problem if winter usage exceeds 12,000 gallons per month.